Bill Ford Jr. encouraged by the make-up of this Lions team

When President Tom Lewand was asked about "making a splash" in free agency, he replied that, "the only time I make a big splash is when I throw a rock in the water."

Now, nearly 24 hours into the free agent signing period, the Lions haven't gone out and signed a marquee name, but they did sign players they feel will help their team win.

Vice Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said during Saturday's practice that the approach the Lions have taken toward free agency this year is a testament to how far the team has come in terms of talent.

"We are a much more complete team this year than we were last year," said Ford. "The team has really come together and there aren’t a lot of holes."

Ford says the holes that do exist are being addressed by General Manager Martin Mayhew but, overall, he thinks the Lions are a solid team.

"Talking to Matthew (Stafford), when they practiced at Country Day (H.S.), he said we were able to run 60 plays and run them well because there was so much continuity in that group,” added Ford.

“We’ve got a great leadership group and that’s not by accident. Martin and Jim (Schwartz) really wanted that in the locker room and we’ve got it. Kyle Vanden Bosch was beating down the doors to get in here the minute that the lockout was over. It’s a great group.”

Ford sees the Lions as a solid team, but he also sees a solid fan base.

He believes the lockout ended "just in time" to preserve the type of football season fans and teams can be excited about.

"There’s tremendous enthusiasm for football in this town and I think there’s a real sense of excitement about this particular team," he said. "The players know that and they feel it and they’re feeding upon it.”